Rutherford College, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28671
Burke County, North Carolina - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 597
- 311/sq mi High-density area
- $73,929
- Median income Near-median income area
- $317,500
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 26.0%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Rutherford College pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.
- Top 47%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 31%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 311
- people per sq mi
- 56%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28671 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28671 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Rutherford College, Burke County, North Carolina, home to just 597 residents across 1.9 square miles, a density of 311 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 28671 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $73,929 (7% above the average North Carolina ZIP), while per-capita income is $26,933. The poverty rate is 8.9%, with unemployment at 5.9%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $317,500 (22% above the average North Carolina ZIP); 55.7% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 26.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 61.1, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 9 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Burke County, so 28671 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 28671, Rutherford College, NC · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
597
Population
1.9
Area (sq mi)
311
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28671?
61.1
Median Age
49.6%
Male
50.4%
Female
0.0%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$73,929
Median Household Income
+7% vs state ZIP avg
$26,933
Per Capita Income
8.9%
Poverty Rate
5.9%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 28671 ranks among North Carolina ZIPs
Rutherford College, NC household income vs. every North Carolina ZIP code
Median household income among 749 reporting North Carolina ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$73,929 Top 32% higher than 68% of 749 North Carolina ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more North Carolina ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
131housing units
131
Total Housing Units
106
Occupied Units
25
Vacant Units
2.42
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$317,500
Median Home Value
+22% vs state ZIP avg
1970
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 17 business establishments in ZIP 28671, employing approximately 445 people with a combined annual payroll of $16,320,000.
17
Businesses
445
Employees
$16.3M
Annual Payroll
2
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 6 | 35.3% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 3 | 17.6% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 28671 vs 28690 →
ZIP 28671 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28602
Hickory (28602)
28,981 residents
- 28630
Granite Falls (28630)
20,041 residents
- 28612
Connelly Springs (28612)
12,397 residents
- 28638
Hudson (28638)
12,302 residents
- 28690 9,295
Valdese (28690)
9,295 residents
- 28637 1,746
Hildebran (28637)
1,746 residents
- 28619 1,520
Drexel (28619)
1,520 residents
- 28671 597
Rutherford College (28671)
597 residents
- 28667 559
Rhodhiss (28667)
559 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28671 ranks #8 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28671 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28671
Rutherford College (28671)
$73,929 median income
- 28637
Hildebran (28637)
$67,500 median income
- 28638
Hudson (28638)
$67,135 median income
- 28690
Valdese (28690)
$67,000 median income
- 28630
Granite Falls (28630)
$63,835 median income
- 28602
Hickory (28602)
$62,048 median income
- 28612
Connelly Springs (28612)
$54,934 median income
- 28619
Drexel (28619)
$34,881 median income
- 28667 $26,354
Rhodhiss (28667)
$26,354 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28671 ranks the highest of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28690 | Valdese, NC | 9,295 | 2.9 mi |
| 28619 | Drexel, NC | 1,520 | 4.2 mi |
| 28666 | Icard, NC | 368 | 3.7 mi |
| 28612 | Connelly Springs, NC | 12,397 | 6.4 mi |
| 28667 | Rhodhiss, NC | 559 | 5.8 mi |
| 28638 | Hudson, NC | 12,302 | 7.0 mi |
| 28637 | Hildebran, NC | 1,746 | 6.5 mi |
| 28630 | Granite Falls, NC | 20,041 | 7.7 mi |
| 28602 | Hickory, NC | 28,981 | 9.5 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 28671, both outside NC so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Burke County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 28671 in?
ZIP code 28671 (Rutherford College) is located in Burke County, North Carolina. Burke County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/burke-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 28671?
ZIP code 28671 in Rutherford College, NC has a population of 597 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28671?
The median household income in ZIP 28671 is $73,929, which is 3% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28671?
The median home value in ZIP 28671 is $317,500, which is 14% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28671?
The largest racial group in ZIP 28671 is White at 92.0%.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28671?
ZIP code 28671 has 17 business establishments employing approximately 445 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 28671?
In ZIP code 28671, 62.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 26.0% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28671?
In ZIP code 28671, approximately 55.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 44.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28671?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28671 is 8.9% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 28671's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 28671 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Rutherford College, NC ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.